Committee defers Potomac sewer request tied to 1,700-foot extension and Piney Branch protections

The Montgomery County Transportation and Environment Committee on July 13 deferred consideration of a water-and-sewer category change request for a 1.5-acre parcel on Piney Meeting House Road in the Trevilla area of Potomac.

Mr. Levchenko (county staff) told the committee the vacant RE2 parcel sits inside the Piney Branch Special Protection Area and would require about a 1,700-foot extension of the Palatine low-pressure sewer system to connect. "None of the above conditions apply in this case, so the executive planning board and council staff are recommending denial," he said, citing a lack of a failed-septic condition, no abutting main and inapplicability of the Potomac peripheral sewer service policy.

Tim Williamson, DEP Water and Sewer, told the committee WSSC had studied lots in the area and "they have capacity in the Palatine low pressure system," but the earlier failed-septic property across the street would require a right-of-way connection or the long extension proposed. Alan Soukup, DEP Watershed Restoration, said the applicant has indicated interest in a three-lot subdivision that would also require the long extension and might prompt revisiting the Potomac peripheral sewer service policy.

Council members pressed staff on procedural options. The chair and several members favored deferral so the requests could be considered as part of the county's upcoming 10-year water-and-sewer plan update, which staff said is expected this fall and could affect eligibility and policy choices. Councilor Balvin urged examination of small "islands" left out of the sewer envelope and cautioned against creating inconsistent parcels of service.

The committee directed staff to draft deferral language for inclusion in the July 28 resolution; Levchenko said deferrals do not get transmitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment because they do not recommend a change at this stage.

The committee's action was procedural; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript. The matter will return to the council after staff drafts deferral language and once the 10-year plan work proceeds.